1 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda 2 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: Bunjelung Calcottin woman from Gadighl Country. The Daily oz acknowledges 3 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres 5 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:18,959 Speaker 1: Strait Island and nations. We pay our respects to the 6 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: first peoples of these countries, both past and present. 7 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 2: Good morning and welcome to the Daily os. It's Wednesday, 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 2: the twenty second of February. I'm Sam, I'm Zarah. Unions 9 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 2: are calling for a dangerous substance to be banned. The 10 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 2: union say if the government doesn't act, they will because 11 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 2: we can't see any more workers lose their lives. Silica 12 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 2: is a common mineral used in artificial stone bench tops, 13 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 2: things like kitchen benches, vanities and bathrooms and other parts 14 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 2: of the one billion dollars Australian spend on home renovations 15 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 2: every month. And while the substance is safe by the 16 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 2: time it's sealed in your kitchen or bathroom countertops, the 17 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 2: dust particles produced when working with silica can have devastating consequences. 18 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: Law firms say they're being approached by patients with the 19 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: deadly silicosis disease. 20 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 3: There are fears without major change, one hundred thousand workers 21 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 3: will develop the disease and unfortunately, at the moment, the 22 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 3: only treatment we have is lung transplantation. They're calling it 23 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 3: a national crisis. 24 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 2: Crystalline silica is being called the modern asbestos. We're going 25 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 2: to look at what this means and what's being done 26 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 2: about it in today's deep dive. But first, Horah, what's 27 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 2: making headlines this morning? 28 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 3: The Reserve Bank Board considered a cash rate rise of 29 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 3: zero point five percentage points earlier this month, before eventually 30 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 3: settling on a point two five hike. Minutes of the 31 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 3: February meeting showed that the board considered a stronger rise 32 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,639 Speaker 3: that was due to higher than expected price and wages data, 33 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 3: but that the uncertainty around future outlooks favored a smaller 34 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 3: increase of the cash rate. 35 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 2: A new legislation dedicated to closing the gap of inequality 36 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 2: between First Nations and non First Nations people was introduced 37 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 2: to Victoria's parliament yesterday. The bill is said to recognize 38 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: the importance of First Nations people making decisions and delivering 39 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 2: services for First nation's children. It's set to be discussed 40 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: in Parliament today. 41 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 3: The Queensland government has launched a three hundred and thirty 42 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 3: two million dollar investment to tackle youth crime throughout the state. 43 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 3: The new measures will include making the breaching of bail 44 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 3: conditions an offense for young offenders, and will also insert 45 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 3: tougher sentencing for serious repeat offenders. 46 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 2: And today's good news, Leah Wekert will become the first 47 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 2: ever female CEO of Cohl's in its one hundred and 48 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 2: nine year history when she takes on the role at 49 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 2: the start of May. Wekert, who has held several senior 50 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,519 Speaker 2: positions at the supermarket chain over the past decade, said 51 00:02:53,560 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 2: she's excited by the opportunities that are ahead. Unions are 52 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 2: calling for bands on this thing called engineered stone and 53 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 2: it contains a substance called crystalline silica. This has been 54 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 2: a really big story this week with the substance being 55 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 2: compared to asbestos. 56 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 3: Okay, so let's just start with what the substance actually is. 57 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 3: You've compared it to asbestos, so it must be serious. 58 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 2: Well, it's naturally occurring. Its official name is crystalline silica 59 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 2: and it's a mineral found in sand and stone, and 60 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 2: it's commonly used to make engineered stone for kitchen and 61 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 2: bathroom bench tops. The Nine Network is reporting that the 62 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 2: substance has also been used in the construction of Sydney's 63 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 2: tunnel systems. Now, as I said at the beginning of 64 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 2: the pod stonetops containing silica are totally fine for you 65 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 2: and I when they're sealed off nicely and put into 66 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 2: your home. But it's the working with silica bit, especially 67 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 2: things like cutting or sowing it, that's creating these tiny 68 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: dust particles which can penetrate deep into the lungs and 69 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 2: cause irreversible lung damage. And that's where some of the 70 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:01,119 Speaker 2: comparisons to asbestos are coming from. Government report last year 71 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 2: estimated that two hundred and thirty people developed lung disease 72 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 2: each year in Australia from breathing in crystalline silica at work, 73 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 2: and this is expected to rise based on how much 74 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 2: the substance has increased in use in our homes since 75 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 2: the early two thousands. But it could be a much 76 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 2: bigger problem than we think. We in some ways might 77 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 2: only be seeing the tip of the iceberg here. There's 78 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 2: some evidence to suggests that Nearly one in four engineered 79 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 2: stone workers who have been in the industry since twenty 80 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 2: eighteen are suffering from silicosis or other silica dust related 81 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 2: diseases right now, and around six hundred thousand Australian workers 82 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 2: are estimated to be currently exposed to the mineral. 83 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 3: So you compared it to asbestos. Once we found out 84 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 3: that asbestos was really bad, it became abundantly clear just 85 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 3: how bad it was. Are we looking at the same thing. 86 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 3: Here are the risks the same. 87 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 2: Well, they're both naturally occurring minerals. Asbestos was a popular 88 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 2: material and heaps of everyday products like building materials, fuse 89 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 2: boxes and pipe insulation. Now, exposure to asbestos is linked 90 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 2: with a disease called asbestosis, as well as other diseases 91 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 2: like lung cancer. As you alluded to, Zara, the risk 92 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 2: of asbestos dust was first recognized way back in the thirties, 93 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 2: but it was only banned in Australia in two thousand 94 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 2: and three, and between that period hundreds of thousands of 95 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 2: people were exposed. One of the ways that I remembered 96 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 2: asbestos was in relation to a building material manufacturing company 97 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 2: called James Hardy, and they were sued for millions of 98 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 2: dollars in the early two thousands for exposing their workers 99 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 2: to asbestos. Now it's estimated that four thousand Aussies still 100 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,720 Speaker 2: die each year from asbestos related diseases. But I do 101 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 2: think it's important to say here that the risks aren't 102 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 2: exactly the same. Asbestos is a higher risk because of 103 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 2: how easily it becomes airborne, and also there are more 104 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 2: people at risk of exposure. Older houses, for example, today, 105 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 2: could still contain the substance because it was built so 106 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 2: long long ago. On the other hand, crystalline silica is 107 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 2: really only dangerous to those working directly with it before 108 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 2: it has that seal applied to it and is installed 109 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 2: in our houses. 110 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 3: So it's the people working in the construction element. 111 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:15,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, And I really don't want to minimize how 112 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 2: dangerous it is for those workers, especially if they're continually 113 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 2: exposed over a long period of time. 114 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 3: Yeah. I think that is a good point there, because 115 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 3: even the numbers speak for itself, the number of people 116 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 3: who could have been exposed is really significant. If we 117 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 3: take it back to the news that we've been hearing 118 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:35,479 Speaker 3: this week, it's that there have been calls for bands 119 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 3: around silica. What are the rules about how it's currently 120 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 3: being used? 121 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,599 Speaker 2: Okay, So in twenty nineteen, the federal government announced a 122 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 2: new body and it was called the National Dust Disease 123 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:48,719 Speaker 2: Task Force, and the task of this body was to 124 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 2: address this emerging trend of new cases of silicosis in 125 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 2: the country. The task Force issued its first report to 126 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 2: the government last year and in that report, unsurprisingly, they 127 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 2: recommended urgent action. The specific recommendations related to things like 128 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 2: strengthening health monitoring to try and pick it up early, 129 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 2: and managing the risks of exposure. Now, at that point, 130 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 2: the report didn't recommend a ban, but they did spell 131 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 2: out that everybody, and we're talking here about employers, governments, 132 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 2: and the whole industry was on notice and that if 133 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 2: these measures that they recommended didn't improve things for workers, 134 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 2: then bands should definitely come into play. 135 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 3: So hypothetically, a ban would be implemented by the government. 136 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 3: So how has the government responded to those recommendations. 137 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 2: Well, we got a response from all state and territory 138 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 2: governments as well as the federal government in March of 139 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 2: last year, and they supported most of the recommendations. They 140 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 2: also announced an eleven million dollar fund that they would 141 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 2: spend over four years to raise awareness and support those 142 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 2: affected by silicosis. Now, earlier this year, the current federal 143 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 2: government committed a further three point nine million bucks to 144 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 2: a prevention and awareness strategy that will focus on educating 145 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 2: worker communities. But I guess the reason we're talking about 146 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 2: it today is this story came back into the news 147 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 2: because of some reporting from the Nine Network, which alleges 148 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 2: state based regulators are failing to keep these workplaces safe 149 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 2: at all. The unions now are calling for further action. 150 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 3: We'll be back right after this. Unions are set up 151 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 3: to protect workers, they are set up to advocate for workers. 152 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 3: So what are they now saying about this? 153 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 2: Well, we heard from the soon to be head of 154 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 2: the National Construction Union. His name is Zack Smith, and 155 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 2: he called for a complete ban on importing engineered stone. 156 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 2: He said that the companies making it are quote morally bankrupt. 157 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:48,959 Speaker 2: We also heard from ACTU Secretary Sally McManus, and she tweeted, 158 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 2: quote young trades are being killed for fashion bench stops. 159 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 2: It's time to ban engineered stone. 160 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 3: Certainly no mincing of it. So the unions are ultimately 161 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 3: calling for a is it likely to happen. 162 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 2: Well, there's this meeting with state and territory ministers next 163 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 2: week at a workplace Health and Safety conference, and that's 164 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 2: where a potential ban of the engineered stone is going 165 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 2: to be discussed. There are some state ministers who are 166 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 2: spoken up in favor of stronger regulations and even bans, 167 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 2: and federal Health Minister Mark Butler said he's open to 168 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 2: the idea, but we're going to have to wait and 169 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 2: see what comes out of next week's meeting. 170 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 3: Thanks for joining us on the Daily OS. If you 171 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 3: learned something from today's episode, don't forget to hit subscribe, 172 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 3: so there's a TVA episode waiting for you every weekday morning. 173 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 3: We'll be back again tomorrow morning, but until then, have 174 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:44,559 Speaker 3: a brilliant day.